Nonstop to Rome: Starwood Pet Travel Reports Record Demand to Move Dogs and Cats to Italy

Italy pet relocation inquiries are up 34% year over year and have already passed the 2025 total, as nonstop flights to Rome make the move simpler for families with large dogs and multiple pets

CAPE CORAL, Fla., Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- When one Southern California family moved to Italy in early September, eleven of the travelers had paws. Four dogs and seven cats flew together on an ITA Airways nonstop flight from Los Angeles to Rome, in a move coordinated from start to finish by Starwood Pet Travel. Every one of the dogs weighed more than 70 pounds, including a Rhodesian Ridgeback and two German Shepherds, so all four traveled in the cargo hold in extra-large kennels.

The family first contacted Starwood in 2022 and came back this spring to plan the move. Their original quote routed the pets through Frankfurt, but Starwood booked them on the nonstop instead. The flight landed in Rome late the next morning, the pets cleared the EU veterinary check at Fiumicino, and Starwood's partner in Italy delivered all eleven to the family's new home that same day. They are part of a growing wave of American families who refuse to leave their pets behind.

Record demand for Italy moves

Starwood Pet Travel, an international pet relocation company, today reported that requests to move dogs and cats from the United States to Italy have reached the highest level in company records. With nearly three months still left in the year, 2026 Italy inquiries have already exceeded the total for all of 2025.

Between January 1 and September 28, Italy relocation inquiries rose 34% compared with the same period last year and are now more than two and a half times the 2022 level. Demand accelerated through the summer, with inquiries from July through late September up 79% over the same stretch of 2025. Rome is the most requested destination, followed by Milan and Naples, and requests for Rome and Milan have each already surpassed their full 2025 totals.

Why nonstop matters

For dogs too large to ride in the cabin, and for families traveling with several pets, nonstop options between the U.S. and Italy are limited. Starwood books pets on ITA Airways nonstop service from New York (JFK), Miami (MIA), Chicago (ORD), and Los Angeles (LAX) into Rome Fiumicino (FCO). A pet on a nonstop flight is loaded once and unloaded once, rather than transferring between aircraft at a European hub. Pets headed to Milan, Florence, or elsewhere in Italy continue from Rome by domestic flight or ground transport. More detail is available in Starwood's guide to direct flight options from the USA to Italy for dogs and cats.

"When a family tells us they're bringing eleven animals, the first thing we plan around is the flight," said Adam Melton, VP of Strategic Initiatives at Starwood Pet Travel. "Every connection is another loading, another temperature check, another chance for a delay. Being able to route a large dog or a whole household of pets nonstop from Los Angeles or New York straight into Rome changes how families feel about the entire move."

The growth comes as more Americans find practical paths to living in Italy, including the digital nomad and remote worker visa Italy established in 2024. For many of those families, bringing the dog or cat is not optional.

What surprises families about Italy's rules

Many pet owners expect Italy's requirements to be far stricter than they are. Dogs and cats that travel to Italy directly from the United States and meet EU requirements do not face quarantine on arrival and do not need a rabies titer test. The core requirements, set by EU rules and outlined on the USDA APHIS Italy pet travel page, are an ISO-compliant microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination, a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel, and an EU health certificate issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA APHIS within the required timeframe before travel.

"The timeline to Italy is much shorter than people assume, but the order of steps matters," Melton said. "If the microchip goes in after the rabies shot, that vaccination doesn't count and you start over. With multiple pets, one sequencing mistake can hold up the whole family, so we map every animal's timeline side by side from day one."

Families planning a move can learn more on Starwood's Italy pet relocation page or request a free quote at app.starwoodpet.com/quote-request.

About Starwood Pet Travel

Starwood Pet Travel is an IATA-certified international pet relocation company. With over 40 years of experience and more than 12,000 safe trips, Starwood helps families, corporate relocations, and military households move their dogs and cats from the United States to destinations around the world, handling veterinary paperwork, airline bookings, and import requirements from start to finish. Starwood Pet Travel is part of IVC Evidensia. Learn more at starwoodpet.com.

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Media Contact

Georgiana Strait Marketing Manager, Starwood Pet Travel [email protected] | 573-337-8415

SOURCE Starwood Pet Travel